“Found them.” She straightened with a box of bulbs. “Is there a step ladder around?”
“Sorry, no. I took it when I moved out.”
“I’ll get a stool then.”
Grateful she could now see better, Lily scooted by him into the living room, turned on a lamp and grabbed one of the stools. She returned to set it under the kitchen fixture. The tiny space seemed to shrink with Nick’s large frame taking up so much room.
“Here. Let me do that.” Nick tried to take the box of bulbs from her, but she shook her head.
“The stool won’t take your weight. Just hold it steady for me.” She pushed one bulb into the pocket of her sweatshirt and started to climb.
Maybe she didn’t want him to see her irrational fear of the dark. Or maybe she wanted to prove she wasn’t a helpless female. Whatever the reason, she needed to do this. She’d been tackling far greater problems on her own for the past six years. She could certainly handle a light bulb.
Rising on her tiptoes, Lily managed to reach the metal fixture and began to unscrew the bulb, until a horrible grinding sound made her flinch and her fingers met with resistance.
“That socket can be tricky.” A hint of impatience laced Nick’s voice. “Why don’t you let me try?”
“I’ve got it.” The stool jiggled under her feet, and fear leapt into Lily’s throat.
“Watch it.”
Nick’s warm hands grasped her legs to steady her, but it had the opposite effect. Her hand jerked, promptly shattering the bulb. Pieces of glass rained down on them. She cried out as she lost her battle with gravity and tumbled off her perch.
Nick’s strong arms broke her fall. He pulled her tight against his chest. “Are you all right?”
Lily startled at the feel of his warm breath in her hair. “I—I think so.”
Slowly he lowered her feet to the floor. She leaned back against the counter, too unsteady to stand on her own.
Glass crunched under Nick’s shoes as he retrieved the flashlight he’d dropped when he caught her. In mere seconds, he replaced the broken bulb with a new one and flipped the switch. Lily shielded her eyes against the blinding glare.
“Hey. You’re bleeding.” Nick took hold of her arm where a trail of blood dripped from a gash in the fleshy part of her thumb. He turned her hand over to inspect the wound. “You’ve got a piece of glass in there.”
She stared at the jagged shard in disbelief, amazed she hadn’t felt any pain.
Nick scooped her up and deposited her on the shard-free counter beside the sink. “I have a first aid kit in my toolbox,” he said. “Don’t move.” He returned seconds later with a white plastic box and flipped open the lid.
The pain had set in now, roaring to life like a fire-breathing dragon. She sucked in deep breaths to cope with the searing heat shooting up her wrist.
Nick turned on the cold water and reached for her hand, his expression apologetic. “Sorry. This is going to hurt.”
She squeezed her eyes shut at the initial burst of pain. When she opened them a second later, the stinging receded as she focused on the face so close to hers. The intoxicating scent of his spicy cologne surrounded her. Nick turned off the tap and examined the injury, tiny ridges of concentration creasing his forehead. When he raised his head, their noses almost touched. The air backed up in Lily’s lungs.
For a moment, he simply gazed into her eyes. “I’m going to take the glass out now. Let me know when you’re ready.”
“Got a bullet to bite?”
He chuckled. “That’s one thing I don’t have in my toolbox.”
Then with one quick jerk, he pulled the shard out of her thumb. Lily bit her lip to smother a cry of pain. Blood spurted down her wrist, and though she tried to be brave, her body rebelled with tremors that raced through her torso.
Nick clamped his hand down over the gash to stem the flow. Lily fought the longing to lay her head on his shoulder and let the warmth of his body ease the chill that made her teeth chatter. Was it the shock of her wound or Nick’s touch that caused her trembling?
When the bleeding slowed, Nick patted the area dry with a towel, applied salve with careful skill, and wrapped a gauze bandage around her hand. The warmth of his steady fingers sent soothing tingles up her arm. It had been a very long time since anyone had treated her with such kindness. No one, except her beloved mother, had ever made her feel so cared for. The bittersweet memory caused hot tears to burn behind her lids. She blinked hard to keep them at bay.
At last, Nick looked up. “Do you have any aspirin? Because this is going to throb like the dickens later on.”
Her throat, thickened with emotion, made speech impossible. She could only nod.
He peered at her, apparently noticing the dampness of her eyes. “Is the pain that bad?”
She shook her head, hating this display of vulnerability. Despite her efforts, a lone tear escaped and trickled down her cheek. Nick reached over to brush it away, his thumb a whisper over her skin. The absolute tenderness of the gesture undid her. She couldn’t pull her gaze from his.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Lily, I—”
On impulse, she jerked forward and cut off his words with a kiss. His lips were soft and warm, tasting of coffee and peppermint. She stilled, shocked by her own recklessness, but Nick folded strong arms around her and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. She fisted her hands in the soft cotton of his shirt as waves of pleasure flooded her system. Nick’s gentle fingers moved to caress her cheek, as though she were something infinitely precious.
Which of course she was not.
Lily stiffened as reality crashed in, returning her to sanity. Hadn’t she promised herself not to get involved with another man? She flattened her hand against Nick’s chest, aware of his heart beating hard against her palm, and pushed him back.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” Her gaze fused to the blue buttons of his shirt, unable to look at him for fear of the disgust she might see there.
“Why not?” His voice was husky. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now.”
She jerked her head up. The look in his eyes, now a dark navy, told her he was dead serious. How could this man make her heart stop with one glance?
Lily shook her head. “The timing’s all wrong for one thing. I’ve just come out of a bad relationship. And you’ve got a girlfriend. Or should I say fiancée?”
“Sarah Jane is not my girlfriend. And we are definitely not engaged.”
A flicker of hurt flashed across his face, but she steeled herself against it. Better to hurt him now and nip this...whatever this was…in the bud.
“Then why did you take her to Giorgio’s tonight?” she demanded. “According to Maxi, the place isn’t exactly platonic.”
He broke eye contact and stepped away. “That was a mistake.” With jerky movements, he repacked his first aid kit and snapped the lid closed.
Lily twisted the soiled towel on her lap, fighting the urge to break down and weep.
He pinned her with another searing look. “The truth is, the whole time I was out with Sarah Jane, I was thinking about you.”
Before she could wrap her brain around the implication of that statement, he turned away from the sink. “I’d better finish this repair.”
He disappeared behind the bulky appliance leaving Lily sitting on the counter, bandaged hand in her lap. Her wound throbbed in time with the headache beginning at her temples. What had she done? Initiated a mind-blowing kiss and hurt Nick’s feelings all in one fell swoop.
Disgusted with herself, she hopped down from the counter, her feet crunching over the bits of glass on the floor. With a sigh, she bent to retrieve the broom and dustpan.
If only it were as easy to clean up the other mess she’d made.
8
“Are you guys ready for a break yet?” Maxi’s plaintive voice drew Lily’s atte
ntion away from the textbook in front of her.
“What’s the matter? You bored?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.” Maxi wandered over to look out the front window of the salon, her arms wrapped around her waist.
Lily shrugged and returned to the books. Her second tutoring session with Chloe was going well. Peg had been a good sport about letting them use the shop when they weren’t busy. “Why don’t you go and grab us some burgers then?” Lily glanced up at the metal wall clock that ticked out each second. “By then, Chloe should be finished with this chapter. You want anything, Chloe?”
The girl’s dark head was bent over her notebook, a well-chewed pencil clenched between her teeth. She looked up and blinked. “What?” She pulled the pencil out. “Oh, no. Thanks. Mom will have dinner waiting for me.”
“I’m not hungry,” Maxi said, “but I’ll get you something if you want.”
The melancholy tone finally registered with Lily. She got up and walked over to give Maxi’s shoulder a nudge. “What’s up with you? You’re never depressed.”
Maxi’s gaze remained fixed outside. “Love stinks. That’s what.”
Lily bit back a smile at Maxi’s dramatic expression. “Is this about Jason?”
Misery darkened Maxi’s features as she turned and nodded. “He has a new girlfriend.”
Chloe and Lily gasped at the same time. How had Lily not realized that Maxi’s feelings went far deeper than a mere crush?
“I’m so sorry.” She put her arm around Maxi’s shoulder. “Maybe it isn’t serious.”
Maxi blinked back tears. “I think it is. You should see his face when he talks about her.”
Chloe abandoned her books and followed Lily and Maxi to the cushioned bench in the waiting area. “Who is she? I’ll get the dirt on her.”
Maxi shook her head. “Thanks, but that’s not necessary.”
Her friend’s sorrow triggered a wave of compassion in Lily. “Have you ever thought of telling Jason how you feel?” she asked. “Maybe he feels the same way and hasn’t realized it yet.”
Maxi picked at her painted fingernails. “I tried once, but I couldn’t do it. I’m scared it might ruin our friendship.”
Lily threw a desperate glance at Chloe who only shrugged. Completely out of her element, Lily fell back on her own coping mechanisms. “You know what you need? A super-decadent chocolate sundae with whipped cream and cherries. That always gets me through my men problems.”
Maxi managed a laugh while dabbing a tissue to her cheeks. “Tempting. But we can’t leave the store.”
“Then I’ll bring the sundaes here. You watch the phones, and I’ll be back with the supplies.” Lily yanked her purse out of the desk drawer. “And you,” she pointed at Chloe, “keep working until I get back.”
Ten minutes later, Lily returned with a tub of rocky road ice cream, a can of whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and cherries. “OK troops, to the lunch room. We have thirty minutes before the next customer arrives.”
They proceeded to transform the staff room into a make-shift ice cream parlor, and by the time they finished, Lily was gratified to see a smile back on Maxi’s face—well worth blowing her grocery budget.
“Mom is going to kill me.” Chloe giggled around a huge spoonful of ice cream. “Talk about ruining your appetite.”
Lily glanced over at Maxi and burst out laughing at the chocolate sauce lining her mouth. “You look like a clown with a bad makeup job.”
The three of them laughed and sprayed more whipped cream. Looking around the ugly Formica table, Lily stilled at an unexpected realization. She was having a normal girl moment with her sister and new best friend, something she’d missed out on during her teen years. For the first time in a long, long time, the crushing weight of loneliness ebbed, and tears of gratitude threatened.
“So, are you coming to the next youth meeting?”
Chloe’s question startled Lily out of her thoughts. She blinked back the unexpected tide of emotion. “I’m not sure. Why?”
“Because we want you there.”
Lily hesitated, rubbing a pensive finger over the bandage on her thumb. Since the kiss in her kitchen, she’d avoided Nick, unsure how to behave around him.
“Come on,” Chloe coaxed. “What else have you got to do?”
“Another date with Marco?” Maxi teased.
Lily snorted. “Not likely. I haven’t heard from him since Nick knocked the wind out of him.” She bit back a groan the minute the words were out.
Chloe’s mouth dropped open. “Nick did what?”
Heat scorched Lily’s face as she pushed her chair back, the metal legs scraping the floor. “It was no big deal. He caught Marco getting a little too friendly, and well, he put a stop to it.” She dumped her dishes in the sink and turned on the hot water.
“You never told me that part,” Maxi accused. “This totally confirms my suspicion. Nick has a serious crush on you.”
Lily shrugged. “He said he knew what Marco was like and was just looking out for me.”
Chloe’s expression sobered. “Yeah, Marco tried that with me once. I thought Nick was going to kill him.”
“See, simple explanation. Now can we forget about Marco, please?” Lily moved to clear the table and prayed for a change in subject.
Chloe rose with her dishes, a slight frown creasing her forehead. “I think Maxi’s right. I’ve never seen Nick act so protective with anyone but me.” She turned on the tap and shot Lily a penetrating look. “How do you feel about my cousin?”
Images of their amazing kiss popped into her head. Lily swallowed hard, willing the color away from her cheeks. She grabbed a cloth to wipe the tabletop. “Nick’s very sweet. Unfortunately he’s not my type at all.” She half expected a lightning bolt to strike her at any moment. Instead, the familiar panic began to build in her chest.
I cannot be falling for Nick Logan.
Maxi stood and pushed her chair in. “You’re probably right, Lil. Somehow I don’t see you as a minister’s wife.”
The cloth fell from Lily’s hands with a wet plop. “Wh-what did you say?”
Maxi’s eyes widened. “Hasn’t he told you? Nick’s studying to be a minister. Wants to take over for Reverend Baker when he retires.”
The blood drained from Lily’s head and pooled in her feet. She grabbed the back of one of the chairs to steady herself. “A minister?”
“Yeah. You OK?”
Maxi and Chloe both stared as if she’d suddenly sprouted horns.
“Do you have a problem with that?” Chloe demanded.
Lily hesitated. These girls were her new family. She owed them some sort of explanation for her reaction. She sank onto one of the chairs. “My father is a minister, and he’s, well, let’s just say we don’t get along.” Understatement of the year. “I swore off anything to do with religion when I left home.”
Maxi’s eyes narrowed. “What did he do to you?”
Lily shook her head. “It’s not what you’re thinking.” How did she describe the type of neglect and emotional abuse she’d endured? “He didn’t like me—and constantly let me know it.”
Chloe gasped. “What kind of father doesn’t like his own child?”
The two girls sat beside her, and Chloe put her hand over Lily’s.
“One who’s forced to adopt a child he doesn’t want. Things were fine while my mother was alive, but once she died...” Lily trailed off, the steady drip of the tap breaking the silence.
“I didn’t know you were adopted, too.” Sympathy swamped Chloe’s expressive eyes. “Something else we have in common.”
Lily bit her lip and held herself rigid on the seat, afraid of blurting out the truth.
“Did your father hit you?”
Lily picked up a napkin and crumpled it into a ball. “Sometimes. He quoted the Bible whenever he did. Seems he had a verse to justify everything.”
Maxi laid a hand on Lily’s arm. “That’s horrible. But you know Nick is nothing like tha
t, right?”
Lily stiffened her spine, along with her resolve. “It doesn’t matter, because Nick and I will never be anything more than friends.” She rose abruptly. “I’d better get back to work now.”
As she stalked back to her desk, Lily clamped her mouth into a firm line. This was just the information she needed to keep any feelings she might have for Nick from blossoming.
A minister would be the absolute last person she would ever get involved with.
****
Nick slammed the door to his truck with more force than necessary as he got out in front of the church. Frustration still hummed in his veins two days after fixing Lily’s fridge. He’d finally shared a kiss with her—a kiss more amazing than he’d ever imagined—and she’d pushed him away. From her initial reaction, Nick was sure she’d felt the same spark. She’d kissed him until something had changed, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what.
Now Reverend Ted had summoned him to a meeting at the church, and judging by his tone over the phone, it was not going to be a pleasant conversation. No cups of tea this time.
Nick paced the rector’s office, waiting for Ted to arrive, and eyed the tired décor. The first thing he’d do when he took this position would be to modernize the office. The furniture and curtains had to be twenty years old or more—as outdated and stuffy as the air in the room.
“Nicholas. Please have a seat.” Ted entered the room and closed the door with a sharp click. The scowl on his weathered face only confirmed Nick’s fears.
He waited for Ted to take his seat behind the scarred wooden desk before pulling up one of the guest chairs.
“I’m somewhat at a loss for words, young man,” Ted began. His bushy eyebrows drew together in a straight line over his glasses.
“What about, sir?”
Ted shuffled a pile of papers to the corner of the desk. “Word has it you’ve been spending time alone with your new tenant—a young woman of questionable morals.”
Shock speared through Nick. Who would spread such vile rumors about him and Lily? “I believe you’ve been misinformed,” he replied in a cool tone.
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